fragile

6

Mira walked into the school hallway, a smile on her face as she read her book.

For the first time ever, she wasn't paying attention to what was on the page. She was just happy that things were okay between her, Mick and Willow.

She just hoped Willow was feeling well after the fiasco on the weekend.

As she walked to her locker and got out her things, she looked around. Her eyes met with the figures of Mick and Willow who were leaning against the lockers on the other side, talking in hushed whispers.

Mira walked towards them with a smile.

"Hey, guys!"

Mick glanced at her and then hurriedly looked away. Willow, on the other hand, completely ignored her.

Mira was confused. She glanced at Mick with furrowed eyebrows and then back at Willow.

"Uh, hello? You guys okay?"

Mick once again refused to say anything. Willow let out a furious sigh, turning her head with a raised eyebrow.

"What do you think?"

"Huh? What's up with you?"

"What's up with me?" Willow repeated her face red. "Stop acting like you're fucking innocent, Mira."

Mira's stomach clenched in fear and her heart beat rapidly in her chest. She clutched the book she had been reading against her chest, tightly.

All she wanted at that moment was to be sucked in the world of her book where there was barely any high school drama.

She just wanted to get away because she was confused to why Willow was acting the way she was.

Things had been fine between them before.

"I-I don't understand? I'm not acting if I honestly don't know what's going on," she said.

Willow rolled her eyes. Mick hurriedly leaned in and kissed her on the top of her head.

"I'm gonna go talk to my mates, yeah?" he mumbled, leaving without even glancing at Mira. 

The nervous gait in which he walked only served to make her anxious than she already was.

Her heart squeezed tightly. "Willow, can you please tell me what's going on?"

She rolled her eyes again and turned to her locker, whipping it open with unrestrained anger.

"You should know."

Without another word, she grabbed her books, shut her locker and stalked off.

Mira was left behind to stare after her, wondering what it was that she had done.

She couldn't think of anything.

Everything had been fine.

She had helped her which was a good thing right?

***

Colton picked at his plate of spaghetti. No one spoke at the dinner table and it was practically torture.

Casey was still in the hospital and no one spoke of that day. No one wanted to.

Colton wanted to, though. He wanted answers. He wanted the sadness to stop.

He didn't like it.

Without Casey, it was like a funeral. Everyone was silent and Colton was sick of it.

It had been an on-going thing for as long as he knew but more, ever since that Friday afternoon.

It was Monday and his parents still acted as if they were zombies.